Saturday
Mar192011
Tatsuno Otoshigo
03.19.2011 
Earth slid open.
Poseidon’s waves rose and bit
the seahorse of Japan.
The underworld spit fire.
Kamikaze[1] winds streamed
the terrible news.
Earth’s axis shifted.
The baby dragon[2], in agony, burns.
All across the planet, we bow:
sadness.
Light comes flowing down
from the Milky Way.
(In Paris, all we can think about is Japan.)
[1] Japanese, literally, divine wind. First known use: 1945.
[2] In Japan, they call seahorses baby dragons (in Japanese “tatsuno otoshigo” literally means “baby dragon”).
Reader Comments (24)
Tristine
It was so gracious of you both to point the lens of Paris Play on the tragedy taking place in Japan.
At the home of my Grandmother's family In Nigata, my Grandfather pointed at the snow outside the open shoji screen and said, "yuki" and I repeated the word: "yuki," which means snow in Japanese. I had uttered my very first spoken word. I was almost two. Your poem "Tatsuno-otoshigo" brought me back to Japan. Your sentiments both moved me and connected me to my Japanese mother - my mother who has always exhibited incredible courage in the face of the most treachous challenges that face her. Like Frank Lloyd Wright who came back from Japan with a distinctly Japanese aesthetic that showed up in his work, "Tatsuno-otoshigo" has a Japanese-ness that works almost like an homage to the Japanese spirit. As always your words make a difference.
I have a hunch that your comment was meant for another of our journal posts, since the subject of "Tatsuno-otoshigo" is not such a wonderful experience. But we are most grateful for your appreciative words. Thank you.
Kaaren & Richard
As always you are so generous. Thank you.
The words of this journal are mine, whether story or poem. The pictures are Richard's, whether photograph or drawing. We do have some editing say in each other's work, but only to make suggestions. The final aesthetic choices are each of ours in each of our "departments."
And you're right. In creating this journal together, we're discovering just how close our aesthetic and spiritual visions are. Sometimes the synchronicity is startling, as when I'm writing a story, and Richard, not having read it yet, is out photographing something that has just the right resonance to sing with the story. It's like a subconscious call and response that's going on all the time now.
Much love to you,
Kaaren & Richard
It's more that we've been consumed with thoughts about Japan. It is such a world-altering tragedy. We cannot continue to imagine that man has perfect control of nature, or that we can prevent nuclear accidents. Hubris and madness!
I love your story about visiting your grandparents' house in Nigata, and learning the word for snow. I'm going to call you "Yuki" from now on. I'd also like to hear a short story from you about being with your mother's family in Japan.
Thanks for mentioning Frank Lloyd Wright's being influenced by the Japanese aesthetic. I should know that (but didn't), having grown up in Paradise Valley, Arizona when it was mostly desert to the north of Mummy Mountain. One of the few other buildings in the valley besides our house was Frank Lloyd Wright's Taliesin West.
I also just learned that "tatsuno-otoshigo" means a stallion fish that races across the ocean floor. Doesn't that sound like a tsunami?
Your words make a difference to us.
Love to you,
Kaaren & Richard
ARI GATO GOZAI MASU
ありがとうございます！あなたは歓迎している。
I am so happy to hear that you were finally able to talk with Masako in Japan.
I admire her for staying in Ofunato and working with the Dutch rescue team and fire department as an interpreter.
May she soon be back with you in Los Angeles. This has been as big an ordeal for you as it has been for her. I hope there will be no more earthquakes in your lives and that after this, you will have some peace.
Love,
Kaaren and Richard
We are so grateful for your words.
Love,
Kaaren & Richard
Your mixed media and literature create such poetry. Kaaren, I remember a version of the piece about the woman getting the ticket! For a moment, as a I read, I had a strong sense of deja vu! But I remember from workshop now, and the poetry rings fresh in this forum. I feel "caught" in these moments you two are creating -- caught and suspended in time. Loving it.
Love,
Cassandra
I've been thinking about this poem for days. I will share Paris Play with others - like Jon said, your words truly make a difference. Your work, your art, is so important.
The image of a seahorse really touched me. How perfect that in Japan they are called Baby Dragons (seahorses have never looked / seemed horse-like to me)...such unique and amazing beings. Adding the word "baby," in any language, adds an element of tenderness, and for me, a wave of emotion to reach out. It's amazing to me how simply translating words from another language and culture can have a profound effect on how we view a word, a thing or a concept that might have otherwise been breezed over...like "divine wind" in Japanese.
Much love and thanks to you both.
xoj
Sometimes when words fail... there is still poetry.
Love to you both,
dawna
Enjoy!
XO Ann
The last 2 entries about the earth sliding open is a poetic way to describe such a horrific occurrence. It is mind-boggling to see how angry mother nature is with us.
I will be better about communicating. It's been a very crazy few weeks. My job at Autodesk was completely absorbed by the Japan disaster, as I work with global communications following disasters and I oversee the company donations for relief efforts. Luckily, our friends in Japan are fine. Shaken, but not hurt and no property damage. Following all the disaster response stuff was the news about Berklee, and our whole family has spent the past week brainstorming to try to figure out what to do and how to make it happen. It's the perfect storm (sorry for the poor reference), so we are just trying to deal.
I hope you and Richard are enjoying beautiful Paris. Glad you got the DVDs. I'll be more faithful about following your site. Love, Julie
I didn't see your message here (or the ones following it), which is why we're so late in responding. Thank you for your loving words. Yes, the Boulevardiers piece was written on a previous visit to Paris. You'll probably be able to see a difference between posts written with our writing group's editing and the majority of them, which are posted the week they're written.
Miss you,
Kaaren (& Richard)
What words of blessing! Merci beaucoup! Send me the addresses of anyone you'd like to be on our e-mail list and I'll add their names.
I couldn't decide if the map of Japan looked more like a seahorse or a dragon, then discovered that the word for seahorse in Japanese was "baby dragon" and that solved the dilemma. You with your beautiful baby can speak to the tenderness of the word “baby.”
I had the same frisson in finding out that kamikazi means "divine wind." The tragedy in Japan was so huge, and involved all the four elements of earth, water, fire and air, that it did seem to have had some terrible divine origin. So divine wind was exactly what I was looking for.
Thank you.
Love, love,
Kaaren (& Richard
And WE LOVE you! Thank you!
Kaaren & Richard